The Navy Wives Club
by darkaccalia520
Summary: Kristin never thought she'd get to know Carol Bridger in such a unique way. Second season AU. One-shot. *COMPLETE*


**A/N: Since everyone seems to enjoy Janet Noyce so much, I wanted to write something where she is spotlighted a bit more, especially since her role in Justice is rather small. This little plotbunny came from Madam'zelleGiry, who encouraged me to do something more with Janet. I hope people enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**This will be a second season AU. The rest should be self-explanatory. **

******Disclaimer: SeaQuest DSV and its characters are not my creation. They are the creation of Rockne S. O'Bannon as a 1990's television series. This work of fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only and is not for financial gain. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit and promise to return them unharmed and in their original condition, maybe just a bit happier.**

**The Navy Wives Club**

**2021**

Upon hearing the vid-phone ring for at least the tenth time, Kristin groaned inwardly as she pushed herself out of bed. Surely, whoever it was had no idea she'd worked until one in the morning and that she desperately wanted uninterrupted sleep, but that didn't stop her from imagining the person's untimely demise. Still, she tried to sound somewhat cordial when she answered, "Hello." She glanced to the screen to see Janet Noyce's pleasant smile. She instantly felt guilty for her wicked thought just moments before.

Janet laughed softly, and Kristin realized she must look a mess. "I'm sorry I woke you; I didn't realize you'd be asleep at almost ten on a Saturday."

Kristin sighed. "I wouldn't normally, but there was an emergency at the hospital last night."

"Oh, dear," the older woman muttered. "I hope everyone's all right."

"A group of teenagers involved in a car crash," she replied with a slight shudder at the memory. "It was hit and miss for a little while, but it looks like they'll pull through." She shrugged. "I know you didn't call to hear about that, though."

"Well, there are some last details I want to go over with you yet. This is crunch time, you know."

"I'm well aware of that, but I also told you I frankly don't care. Considering this is a second marriage for both of us, Nathan and I don't want anything too extravagant." Kristin cringed inwardly at the thought of going over wedding details. She and Nathan had gotten engaged just six months before, and even though she'd opted not to sign on for _seaQuest's_ second tour and took a head physician position at the New Cape Quest Hospital instead, they'd been making their relationship work.

Janet was thrilled to pieces about the engagement and appointed herself as the wedding planner. Kristin didn't mind at all, since the two had become close friends and picking out flowers and bridesmaid colors wasn't at the top of her list of fun things to do. The only thing she had told Janet was to keep it simple. Unfortunately, she still wanted Kristin's opinion on everything, and she found it rather exhausting. She'd almost wished she and Nathan had decided to elope so she wouldn't need to deal with it all.

"I still need your opinion on the cake and the flowers. It won't take long, and besides, since the boys are out having their last harrah, I thought we should do the same," she said, giving her friend a hopeful look.

Indeed, Nathan, Bill, and several other of their friends were out sailing for the day; it was their version of a bachelor party. Kristin, however, didn't see the need for her to have a 'last harrah', as Janet called it. On the other hand, though, lunch did sound rather harmless, and she also knew Janet wouldn't take no for an answer. "Where would you like to go then?"

Janet waved a hand. "Oh, don't you worry about it. I've already taken care of that."

Kristin frowned. "_Please_, don't tell me you've planned a party."

"All right, I won't," Janet said with a smile.

"I'm serious."

"So am I. I'll be at your apartment in half an hour. I think you should wear your yellow sundress. You always look lovely in that."

Before Kristin could offer a reply, Janet cut the link, causing Kristin to let out a frustrated groan. "I really hope I don't end up regretting this day," she muttered as she went to go shower.

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Thirty minutes later, Janet knocked on Kristin's apartment door. Much to her surprise, Kristin answered with a smile, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and wearing the sundress she'd suggested. "I guess that shower must have done you good," she said as Kristin motioned her inside.

"That...and the fact that I'm starving. I hope you've picked a great place."

Janet felt a stab of guilt, since she'd told a tiny white lie...but if Kristin had known the truth, Janet worried she never would have agreed to go. "I trust you'll find it satisfactory," she replied, nervously wrapping the strap of her purse around her fingers. "We really should go, though. I made a reservation. Are you ready?"

"I think so. Just let me grab my cardigan." She made a bee-line for the bedroom and returned with a white sweater swung over her arm. "Ready."

"We'll take my car, if that's all right?"

She nodded. "Fine by me."

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Once they got onto the road, Janet did her best to make conversation. Once Kristin saw they were driving out of town, she'd know something was up. Naturally, the obvious choice seemed to be the wedding plans. "Once we get these last-minute details hammered out, you should be able to relax the rest of the week."

Kristin chuckled. "You've obviously forgotten my line of work. I won't have any relaxation time until I'm off work on Wednesday." She then gave a happy sigh. "Then I have a full two weeks; it will be glorious."

Janet smiled. "Well, you need to have the wedding before you can focus on the honeymoon."

"Oh, you're such a killjoy," she teased. "But as I told you, I trust your tastes. You know what I like."

"You _think_ I know what you like, but I can't say I know for sure. I just want everything to be perfect for you."

Kristin sighed. "It will be, but if it will make you happy, I'll look at samples and pick out what I like."

"It would very much, thank you."

A few moments later, Kristin finally glanced out the window. "You haven't taken a wrong turn, have you? I thought we'd be going somewhere in town."

"It's a new place. I know it's a little far, but I heard the food is excellent." She swallowed hard, hoping Kristin wouldn't ask anymore pressing questions. "We're almost there, though. I promise."

After a pause, Kristin asked, "What's it called?"

"Elizabeth's," Janet blurted out. It wasn't a lie exactly, but she didn't want to give anything away for fear Kristin would insist she take her back home.

"Elizabeth's?" Kristin said thoughtfully. "I never heard of it, but I trust your judgment."

"Thank you, dear." Janet bit her lip in worry, though. She only hoped Kristin wouldn't be too angry when they arrived at their true destination.

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Ten minutes later, Janet pulled the car into a residential area. Kristin's brow furrowed since it wasn't the typical place for a restaurant. As soon as Janet parked the car, her heart sank, seeing as she knew exactly where they were now: right outside Secretary General Arthur McGath's home. Kristin had met him and his wife, Elizabeth, a handful of times at various UEO functions, but she didn't know either very well. She narrowed her eyes at Janet. "Elizabeth's?"

She lowered her gaze. "Yes, well, about that... I'd completely forgotten I needed to pick something up from Liz. It will only take a minute."

Kristin felt her anger fade. "You scared me for a moment. I thought you might have planned some sort of surprise party."

Janet laughed nervously. "A party? Of course not. You specifically said no parties, and I'd never betray your trust."

"I appreciate that, thank you. Then if you don't mind, I think I'll just wait in the car."

Janet frowned. "Oh, won't you come in for just a minute? I'm sure Liz would love to say hello."

Kristin shook her head. "She barely knows me. I think I've only met her twice before, so I highly doubt she'd love to say hello to me. If you think I'll be upset about waiting for you, I won't be...as long as you're not in there for ages. I may waste away," she said with a smile.

"You can't stay out here all alone."

A brow rose. "Why not?"

"Because...because it's too hot. Don't you think it's warm out here?"

Kristin laughed. "I do know how to open a window, and it's not terribly warm out here. I rather think it's a lovely day." She paused and eyed her friend. "You're _sure_ this isn't some sort of surprise party?"

"Of course not," Janet said, pushing open her door. She then walked around to the passenger side of the car, opened the door, and grabbed her hand. "It's a get-together. Now, come on. Everyone's waiting for us." With that, Janet pulled her towards the front door before she could give any sort of protest.

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Although she had half a mind to escape, Kristin had little choice but to play along, though she made a point to shoot a few glares in Janet's direction as they were led through the house by the butler. Apparently, this get-together, as Janet called it, was in the backyard. Her eyebrows knitted together as she wondered why in the world Janet would hold any sort of party...because really, that's what it was, despite what terminology one wanted to use...at Elizabeth McGath's house. As she'd mentioned, she wasn't particularly close with her.

As they walked through the back door, she was about to whisper to Janet to ask her when she was suddenly distracted by the décor. There were three long tables covered with white tablecloths, each having a bouquet of daffodils in the center. Then there was a small stage at the front of the yard, also decorated with daffodil bouquets. In the center of the stage was a podium and a banner behind that, though she couldn't quite make out what the banner said.

As she took a few steps closer, Elizabeth emerged from the group of women and shook Kristin's hand. "We're so glad you could make it, dear. I know we don't really know you that well, and vice versa, but that's exactly why Janet said we needed to do this."

Kristin glanced over her shoulder and saw that, indeed, she didn't know any of the women there very well. She'd met them all at one point or another, but always at military functions. It suddenly dawned on her these were all military wives. "So this was all Janet's idea?"

"Mostly, yes...though the rest of us helped," Liz confirmed. "We just hope you have a good time."

"I'm sure I will," Kristin replied. "But could you excuse us for one minute?" She glanced toward Janet. "I'd really like to thank Janet personally before we begin."

"Of course. Take your time."

As Liz turned away, Kristin clamped her hand down on Janet's arm and led her several feet away.

"Something wrong?" Janet asked her casually.

"Don't play coy with me," she bit out in low tones. "These are all _your_ friends. Why in the world would they want to do anything for me?"

Janet put her hands up. "I know you said no parties, but I promise you that's not exactly what this is."

Kristin rolled her eyes. "How stupid do you think I am?" She motioned towards the tables. "Are you really going to keep telling me this isn't a party when it clearly is?"

"Look," Janet said with a sigh, "I don't blame you for being angry, and I promise you when all is said and done, I'll let you scream at me at the top of your lungs if you'd like. But for now, will you please try to have a good time? I swear it isn't quite what you think."

She cast a glance towards the group of women, whose eyes were all focused on Janet and her. She swallowed hard and nodded her head. "You know I can, but...why would they want to do anything for me?" she asked again, this time her voice sounding weak and frightened.

The older woman put an arm around her shoulders. "There's no reason to worry. You'll find out very soon."

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Janet led her to the small stage. Once there, Kristin could see that the banner read: _Congratulations, Kristin_. However, there was another smaller banner on the front of the podium that read: _The Navy Wives Club_. "Just have a seat right here," Janet told her.

"Just what is this exactly?" she asked, motioning to the podium banner.

Janet, however, didn't offer a reply. Instead, she walked up onto the stage and spoke into the microphone, "Ladies, take a seat, please."

The women all did so, and Kristin noticed Elizabeth sat next to her. Liz took her hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"You poor thing, you look like a deer caught in headlights," she whispered.

"I'm just...a little uncomfortable," she admitted. "It's just I'm not really sure-"

Liz waved a hand. "You don't need to explain. I understand completely, but I hope by the end of the day, you'll feel more at ease with us."

Kristin gave a quiet nod. She wanted to say more, but she wasn't sure what. Thankfully, she didn't need to think long because Janet spoke once again, "I'd like to call this meeting of the Navy Wives Club to order. Any day we welcome a new member is special, but I am particularly proud to welcome our guest of honor, Kristin 'soon-to-be-Bridger' Westphalen." Janet motioned for her to stand.

Kristin obliged, but her face suddenly felt as though it were on fire as all eyes focused on her. Why didn't Janet just tell her about all this in the first place? She gave an awkward wave before quickly sitting down again, shutting her eyes tightly and hoping this ceremony would be quick.

"Remember to breathe, sweetie. We don't bite," Janet said, causing the other women to laugh. "Go easy on her, ladies. She didn't know about any of this. And, Kristin, honey, before you plot my murder for putting you through all this, we're going to start with the history of the group. I think you'll find it will make all of this worth it. I promise."

Kristin couldn't help but share a small smile with her friend, and Liz put an arm around her shoulders, which helped put her at ease. She let out a breath she didn't quite realize she'd been holding in as Janet hit a button and a projector screen lowered from the ceiling. A photograph of a smiling, young blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman appeared, and Kristin recognized her instantly; it was Carol Bridger.

"Our story begins shortly after Bobby was born..."

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**1989**

"_Mom, mom, mom!"_

_Janet smiled at her six-year-old son, Bill Jr. "Yes, dear, what is it?" She shifted two-year-old Ginny, who'd just woken up from a nap, to her other hip so she could turn her attention to Bill._

"_Can we go visit Bobby? I wanna show him my new baseball glove."_

_Janet placed Ginny in her high chair and put a handful of Cheerios on the tray for her to munch on. "Bobby's only a few weeks old, sweetie. He's too little to play baseball."_

"_That's because his dad isn't home to teach him. I thought I could help with that until Uncle Nathan comes back."_

"_Oh, that's very thoughtful of you, dear," Janet replied with a laugh, "but the fact Bobby can't play baseball has nothing to do with Uncle Nathan being away. You remember when Ginny was a baby, don't you?"_

_Bill Jr. glanced to his sister and shook his head. "But Ginny's a **girl**. She likes dolls, not baseball."_

_Janet shook her head. "We don't know that yet. She might decide she likes baseball when she's a little older. But what I meant was that when she was a baby, she didn't do much of anything either, did she?"_

"_Except eat, sleep, cry, and poop," Bill Jr. replied. "But we haven't seen Bobby in forever. Can't you call Aunt Carol? Please?" He stuck his bottom lip out, something that always made Janet's heart melt._

_She sighed. Her son had a point; she hadn't heard from Carol in a couple of weeks now. Naturally, with both their husbands out at sea, they were both busy with their own household duties. And Carol probably had her hands full with a new baby in the house. Nathan was only allowed a week off and then it was back out to sea. "I'll give her a call after Ginny has her snack," she promised._

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_One hour later, Ginny was playing on the floor with her blocks and Bill Jr. was watching cartoons. Janet decided it was the perfect time for her to take a few minutes and give Carol a call, deciding they could plan an outing to the park. But after several rings, there was no answer, and the answering machine never picked up. Was it possible she dialed the wrong number? She decided to try one more time, just in case she'd pushed a wrong button._

_She punched in the number again but got the same result, causing her to frown. Maybe Carol just wasn't home, but she couldn't help but worry about her. Janet had known her since shortly before she and Nathan got married two years before, and she wouldn't normally go places by herself. Before Bobby was born, she was always asking Janet to go to the shops with her. Obviously, that changed after Bobby arrived; it stood to reason Carol was probably too exhausted, but Janet started to question her choice not to keep tabs on her. What if something bad had happened?_

_Before she could name each of the possible million and one scenarios, she had Ginny in her arms, and she was calling to Bill Jr., asking him to turn the television off and get his shoes on._

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_Less than ten minutes later, Janet and children were in her car on their way to Carol's. She bit her lip, hoping that everything was all right. She hoped to find that Carol was out or that she was worrying for nothing. But what if...what if she wasn't? She'd promised Nathan she would keep an eye on them while he was away. How would she tell him she failed at that? What if..._

"_Mom!"_

_Bill Jr.'s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. _

_She looked at him in the rear-view mirror. "Yes?"_

"_I've been calling you for like...twenty minutes."_

_She shook her head. "We've only been in the car for about five minutes."_

"_Well, it's been a long time," he muttered. "Where are we going?"_

"_To Aunt Carol's, dear."_

"_You called her?" he asked excitedly. "You shoulda told me. I woulda brought my baseball glove."_

"_I promise you can show him next time." She only hoped there was a next time as she pulled the car into Carol's driveway. She helped the children out and walked towards the garage door to peer through the window._

"_What are you doing, Mom? The front door is that way."_

"_I know, dear. I just need to see if Aunt Carol's car is here. She isn't expecting us." She peered in through the window and saw the car safely parked inside. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. "Good news. She's home," she said as she led the children to the front door and rang the bell._

_Several long moments passed, but Carol never answered the door. Janet sighed and rang the bell again. Another few minutes passed and still nothing._

"_Mom...why isn't Aunt Carol answering the door?" Bill Jr. asked._

_Janet noted the worry in her son's voice. "I...I don't know, sweetie." She bit her lip, trying to think of something to ease his mind. "Maybe...maybe she's just napping." She wished there was someone who could watch the children while she assessed the situation further. If something awful did happen, she didn't want them witnessing it, but she didn't have anyone on hand for such matters. She was trying to decide what to do next when Bill Jr. pushed past her and turned the doorknob, which apparently hadn't been locked._

"_No, Bill!" she cried, but he had already run inside._

"_Come on, Mom! I think they're upstairs."_

_She lifted Ginny into her arms and stepped inside. A low gasp escaped her throat when she saw the state of the house. It looked as though a tornado had hit it. Baby clothing and other items littered the furniture, and the floor needed a good vacuuming. Carol was always such a diligent housekeeper, so Janet was quite shocked to see the house this way._

_Ginny pointed at the floor. "Mess, Mama."_

"_Shh," she urged. "I know, baby, but we shouldn't say that." She turned to Bill Jr. "Can you do me a favor and keep an eye on your sister for just few minutes?"_

"_Where are you going?"_

"_I just want to see if your aunt is upstairs," she explained._

"_We can all go!" he piped up and started up the stairs._

"_Wait, sweetie!" To her relief, he obediently turned back. "Aunt Carol and Bobby could both be sleeping. I just want to go upstairs and see." __She found a few storybooks on the table and cleared off a spot on the sofa. "Here, why don't you two look at these? I promise I won't be long."_

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_Janet cautiously made her way up the stairs, trying to mentally prepare herself for what she might see. Her senses were all on high alert, and she paused every few seconds to see if she could hear even the slightest sound. As she neared the top of the stairs, she noticed the hallway looked much like the downstairs: cluttered and needing a good cleaning. She moved a few things out of her way when she heard a soft sound. She stopped and listened, breathing a sigh of relief. It was Bobby fussing, so that meant he was all right at least. _

_She ran in the direction of the sound and paused in the doorway of the nursery. Carol, looking disheveled and exhausted, stood with Bobby in her arms, rocking him and talking to him quietly._

"_Please, don't you want to go to sleep now, sweetie? You have to be tired. I'm tired." As she turned around, she locked eyes with Janet. "What...what are you doing here?"_

"_I'm sorry to barge in like this, but...I'd called you earlier a few times, but you never answered. And then we rang the doorbell, and Bill Jr. tried the doorknob, and it wasn't locked, and..." She sighed. "I was worried. Are you all right?"_

"_Oh, sure, I'm fine...just fine for someone who hasn't slept in days." She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I must be a terrible mother. All he does is cry."_

_Janet stepped forward, moving to put an arm around her shoulders. "Babies cry, dear," she said gently._

"_All the time?" she asked. "He never seems happy. If I lay him down, he cries. If I hold him, he cries. And I swear he never sleeps more than ten minutes at a time. Other babies sleep, don't they?" _

_Janet's heart nearly broke in two, since Carol sounded near tears. She held out her arms to take the baby from her. "Of course he must sleep longer than that. It just __**seems**__ like it's not very often because you're so sleep-deprived yourself. But some babies cry more than others. Ginny had colic. Believe you me, Bill and I had a difficult time after she was born. It took a bit of getting used to, but we made it."_

"_That's the difference, though: you __**and**__ Bill. __**You**__ had help."_

_Janet gently rubbed Bobby's back as he voiced his protests. "Is that what you think? That you're all alone in this?"_

"_Do you see Nathan around?" she replied bitterly._

"_You know he'd be here if he could. I was lucky when I had Bill Jr. and Ginny; the world was in a better state then."_

"_Oh, so what you're saying is that our timing is just awful?" She crossed her arms over her chest and slumped down in the rocking chair._

"_Of course not. What I meant was that Bill was able to lend a hand when the children were babies. Now, there's all that unrest in the Middle East. Someone has to help."_

"_But why does it have to be __**my**__ husband?"_

"_You know why," Janet replied. "You never worried about any of this before."_

"_That was before I knew what I was getting into," she muttered, burying her head in her hands. "I'm so embarrassed. The house is a disaster, and so am I. I never thought I'd fail at motherhood."_

_Janet clicked her tongue. "You are not failing at anything. Everyone has rough patches. I wish you'd have told me you needed a little help sooner. I had no idea you were having any trouble."_

"_I thought I ought to try to figure things out for myself. Besides, I think I need more than a little help."_

"_Nonsense," Janet said. "Tell you what; you take the rest of the day off."_

_Carol's mouth dropped open. "What?"_

"_You can take a bath and get some rest. I'll take care of the baby and help clean up."_

"_I couldn't ask you to do that," Carol replied, shaking her head. She pushed herself out of the chair and moved to take Bobby. "I've made my bed and now I have to lie in it, so to speak. Besides, you have Bill Jr. and Ginny. I couldn't ask you to take a third child."_

"_You didn't ask me," Janet pointed out. "I'm offering, and if I hear another no, it'll turn it into an order. Bill Jr. is quite independent now, and he loves helping out with his sister. Besides, he's been wanting to come and see Bobby. If I tell him I need him to help with him, he'll be ecstatic. I promise if I need anything, I'll let you know. But for now, don't worry. You obviously need some time to yourself."_

_Carol bit her lip in thought but didn't offer a protest. "All...all right, but I'm only taking a short nap."_

_Janet started downstairs. "Whatever you say."_

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_When Carol awoke, she instantly became worried since she heard a strange sound: silence. She'd almost forgotten what it was like, but with three small children in the house, she decided that silence was the sign of something gone wrong. She suddenly glanced at the clock and noticed that it was six in the evening. "Oh, my gosh!" _

_She pushed herself out of bed and frantically called, "Janet! Janet!" She heard her bounding up the stairs._

"_What is it? What's wrong?" Janet asked, standing in the doorway, trying to catch her breath._

"_That's what I'd like to know," Carol replied, still concerned. "Where's Bobby?"_

"_Downstairs fast asleep in the bassinet," Janet replied. _

"_He...he is?"_

"_Mm-hmm, but I wanted to speak with you about that. I think he might have a bit of colic. Have you spoken to his pediatrician about that? I laid him face down on my arm when I rocked him, just like we used to do with Ginny, and he calmed right down. You're not a bad mother at all. You just have a colicky baby."_

_Carol nodded, trying to take it all in and running a hand through her mussed hair. "But why did you let me sleep so late?"_

"_Because you obviously needed it. Why don't you get cleaned up? Dinner's almost ready." And with that, Janet left the room, leaving Carol little choice but to obey._

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_Fifteen minutes later, Carol walked downstairs to find the house looking immaculate. She gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth and feeling tears spring to her eyes._

"_Aunt Carol!" Bill Jr. immediately ran to greet her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Are you feeling better?"_

_She nodded through her tears. "Yes, I'm better."_

_Bill Jr.'s brow furrowed. "Then why are you crying?"_

_Before Carol could answer, Janet walked in from the kitchen with Ginny in her arms. "Why don't you give Aunt Carol some room, dear?" She put an arm around Carol's shoulders. "Are you okay?"_

_She nodded. "Happy tears, I promise." She motioned to the room. "I can't believe you did all this."_

_Janet waved a hand. "It was nothing."_

"_And I helped." Bill Jr. stood up a little straighter, looking chuffed._

_Carol wiped the stray tears from her cheeks. "Did you?"_

"_Uh-huh. And Mom says we can go out for ice cream later as a reward."_

"_That sounds like fun."_

"_Ah, but first, dinner," Janet interrupted. She turned to Carol. "I'm sure you haven't had a proper meal lately either."_

"_Does toast count?" she asked weakly._

_Janet smiled. "I think you know the answer to that. How does spaghetti sound?"_

"_Heavenly!"_

_Bill Jr. took her hand. "Good, because that's what Mom made."_

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_After dinner, Bill Jr. took Ginny to the living room to play while Carol helped Janet clean up. _

"_I don't know how you do it," Carol told her._

"_Do what exactly?"_

"_All this," she said, motioning with her hands. "The cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids. You make it look so easy."_

"_I've had a bit of practice, though. I wasn't always this together."_

"_Oh, I'm sure I'll learn with time, but I can't help but think about the others."_

_Janet's brow furrowed. "The others?"_

"_Other wives in the same boat, no pun intended. What if they don't have a Janet Noyce to come and save them? What if they don't have anyone at all?"_

_Janet thought for a moment. "I admit, I don't know a lot of the other wives very well to even know."_

"_Exactly. I think we should do something about that."_

"_We?"_

"_Well, if you want to, that is. Now that I can think straight, though, I know I definitely want to start a club or something."_

"_You mean like a support group?"_

_She nodded. "When Nathan first got out of the Academy, there was a military wives' group near the base, but I never joined. I didn't think I needed it then, but there isn't one here, is there?"_

"_Not that I'm aware of."_

"_And don't you think it would be beneficial if there were? You saw me earlier. I was a mess. What if there are other women going through that same thing this very moment?"_

"_Okay, I'm sold," Janet said with a smile. "How do you want to start?"_

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**2021**

"...And start, we did. We started with flyers, and had our first meeting that weekend. Fifteen other wives showed up, and we quickly formed a bond...a support system. We provided a shoulder to cry on, child care, help... It was everything Carol had dreamed. She never wanted another Navy wife to feel as though she was alone again," Janet said, eyeing Kristin. "And that's why we've invited you...because you will have times when you feel alone and need a shoulder to cry on. We want to be here for you if you ever need."

Kristin instantly felt tears spring to her eyes. It was now she understood the point of this, and she felt bad for her earlier anger.

Janet motioned her to the stage. "Come on up here, sweetheart."

Kristin wiped her eyes and did as she was told.

Janet held out a small jewelry box. "After that first meeting, we grew a little each year. By the third year, Carol had decided we needed to do something a bit different, a bit special." She held out the box to Kristin. "Open it."

Kristin's hand trembled slightly as she did so, and inside was a sterling silver anchor pendant on a chain. On the front of the anchor was a small inscription: _I refuse to sink. _

Janet placed the chain around Kristin's neck and fastened it. "That's our motto. Navy wives are the anchors of the family, and we go through a lot...but we never sink."

Kristin felt a soft sob escape her throat. "I don't...I don't know how I could ever thank you for this. I...I'm sorry I acted so horrid before."

Janet wrapped her arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Oh, don't worry about it, dear. Please, no more tears. This is a happy occasion. Let's act like it."

Elizabeth nodded and stood to take Kristin's hand. "I think it's time to eat, don't you?"

___-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-_

It was well after nine in the evening when Kristin got home, but she didn't mind. She'd spent the rest of the day getting to know her new friends, and she couldn't have thought of a better way to spend the day. She also realized that through the experience, she'd also bonded with Carol Bridger in a way she'd never dreamt imaginable. Oh, Nathan spoke about her at times, but she never really felt she knew her until now.

She walked into her bedroom to change into a nightgown, and as she glanced in the mirror, she noticed her necklace. She brought a hand to the pendant and sighed softly. She felt very blessed and hoped that Carol knew what a precious gift she'd given her.

At that moment, the vid-phone rang, and Kristin walked back into the other room to answer it.

"Hello, gorgeous!"

Kristin laughed softly. "Hello, yourself, sailor. How was your day?"

"Long," Nathan replied with a smirk. "It was...nice, but I missed you. How about you? Did you catch up on your sleep?"

"Not exactly," she said with a shake of her head.

"Don't tell me you got called into the hospital again," he said with a frown.

"No, it was nothing like that," she assured him. "I actually spent the day getting to know Carol, among others."

His brow rose. "Tell me."

She nodded. "It all started when Janet called this morning..."


End file.
